1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for remotely scheduling tasks for a set top box. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for remotely requesting tasks and for remotely scheduling tasks that are transmitted over a satellite system to a set top box.
2. Background and Related Art
Consumers are beginning to have access to a large number of television programs over an increasing number of television channels. Set top boxes such as satellite receivers, cable boxes, and digital video recorders or combinations thereof are becoming more popular because they provide features to consumers that were not previously available. Set top boxes, for example, allow users to digitally record programming content such as television programs, lock certain channels from being accessed without permission, view electronic program guide data, and set personal preferences that control how the program guide data and/or the programming content is presented to the user.
These features are available to a user who, from the comfort of their own home, can easily program the set top box to perform these tasks. The ability to digitally record a television program is particularly useful when users are unable to view a particular television program during the scheduled broadcast of the program. For example, there may be more than one program that the user wants to watch that are broadcast at the same time, or the user may be away from home when the program the user wants to watch is broadcast.
Sometimes, the user knows that he or she will be unable to view a certain television program well in advance. This may occur, for example, when the user is planning a vacation. In this instance, the user is able to directly program the set top box from their home to record the program before they leave on vacation. When the program is broadcast while the user is on vacation, the television program will be recorded by the programmed set top box and the user will be able to view the program at their leisure.
Unfortunately, there are situations where the user is away from home and their set top box is not programmed to record a certain program. A user, for instance, may leave on vacation without programming their set top box. In other situations, a user may desire to record a program shortly before the program is scheduled to begin. For example, a user, while at a sporting venue, may discover that their favorite program is going to be a new episode instead of a repeat episode.
More generally, there are many reasons why a user is unable to record a television program. The fact that the user may be at work, cannot get home in time to record the television program, has another commitment that conflicts with the television program, forgot to program the set top box, and the like are some of the reasons that prevent a user from successfully recording a program. Thus, users often find themselves in situations that prevent them from successfully recording the desired program.
In order to schedule a task, such as recording a television program, many set top boxes simply require the presence of the user. Thus, users are unable to access their set top boxes from a remote location such that a task can be scheduled at the set top box. Attempts have been made, however, to provide a way for users to record programs or schedule tasks when they do not have direct access to their set top box.
One attempt involves using a proprietary server that stores program guide data. Periodically, the set top box will access the proprietary server in order to update the program guide data stored in the set top box. To schedule a task in this case, the user accesses the proprietary server through a network, such as the Internet. Once logged on to the proprietary server, the user may view the program guide data stored on the proprietary server and input programming instructions or schedule a task that will be downloaded to the set top box of the user.
The primary problem is that the set top box can only access the proprietary server periodically, which may introduce a large delay into the creation of a task. The user must simply wait until the set top box logs in at a later time before the task will be downloaded. In many circumstances, especially when a task is scheduled on short notice, the set top box will not record the television program because it either did not receive the task or received the task too late.
The problem of ensuring that a user is able to remotely schedule a task is also complicated because many of the broadcasts through which television programming is delivered are unidirectional transmissions. A satellite, for example, does not receive data from a set top box. Rather, the satellite is broadcasting programming content that can be received by all of the set top boxes that are tuning to the satellite's broadcast. The lack of a return channel eliminates the possibility of remotely accessing the set top box.
While many set top boxes have a dial up connection that, in many cases, serves as a return channel, the user is not able to remotely cause the set top box to establish the return channel. The set top box is able to receive data over the satellite broadcast, but the dial up connection is only used as needed. Thus, there is a need in the art for systems and methods that allow a user to remotely schedule tasks that can be implemented on a set top box.